


Buck-terial Contamination

by InkgooSupernova



Series: The Winter System [27]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Based on a Vocaloid Song, Body Horror, Body Modification, Bucky Barnes Has Nightmares, Bugs & Insects, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ficlet, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Music, M/M, Multi, Nightmares, One Shot, Short One Shot, Vomiting, Wetting, bacterial contamination
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:27:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24265060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkgooSupernova/pseuds/InkgooSupernova
Summary: It was replaced with horrible, protruding tendrils that bent in segmented angles like insect legs. He couldn't feel his tongue.Or any lower part of his face for that matter.AKA the Bacterial Contamination AU that nobody asked for, in the form of a nightmare.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson
Series: The Winter System [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1693231
Comments: 10
Kudos: 57





	Buck-terial Contamination

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry for the pun, we wrote this at 12:00 am and had no better idea for a name.

Everything hurt.

His jaw.

_Oh god, his jaw._

It was replaced with horrible, protruding tendrils that bent in segmented angles like insect legs. He couldn't feel his tongue.

Or any lower part of his face for that matter.

The rest of his body fared no better, his legs removed at the hip like a ball-jointed doll and replaced with long, horrifying, segmented insect legs that bent at unnatural angles similar to that of bird legs. He could barely keep himself balanced, his replacement legs ending in large, claw-like spikes that sat almost parallel behind what he assumed was his new calves. The flesh of his right arm had rotted away, leaving only the bones beneath in its place. His left arm had been replaced by a mangled, awkwardly segmented arm, ending in a set of claws that nearly dwarfed his torso.

He couldn't scream. The awful pincers protruding from the remains of his face were coming from his throat. He could feel the suffocating mass of writhing tubes stretching the length of his larynx to its absolute limit. He ran the bone tips of his right hand's fingers over his face, feeling the gap between his remaining flesh and the claws that tore away his last chance of communicating with the outside world.

_He was a monster._

———

" _Bucky?_ " The Man on the bridge squawked.

The Asset stared, the pincers just beneath its eyes twitching and shifting as its remaining eye flicked across its target's tense form. Its left eye, now entirely red and compounded similar to that of an insect, had lost its sight long ago.

"Oh, oh _god,_ Bucky what-" The Man choked on air, foolishly stepping closer to the machine. " _What did they do to you?_ "

The Asset stumbled back, gracefully balancing on the padded knuckle of its segmented leg spikes. It shielding itself with the large claws that made up its left arm.

The Man curled in on himself, vomiting onto the street at the sight of Hydra's masterpiece.

The Asset stepped forward, grasping its target's throat with the bony remains of its flesh hand. Flesh was unnecessary when carving the way for Hydra's success in freeing the world.

"Bucky, stop." The Man gasped, attempting to grip the Ulna of the arm that was currently crushing his windpipe.

The Asset pulled its target impossibly close to its mangled body, letting the segmented claws of its pincers graze against its target's perfectly human face. The Man began to scream as the jagged tips of the pincers crawled into his mouth, ripping and tearing at the flesh and bone inside.

The kiss of death was never the kindest.

———

Bucky woke up screaming.

Followed by running.

Followed by puking up his dinner all over himself and the corner he was currently hiding in.

His arms were still there, one flesh and one metal, no deformed claws or rotten remains.

His jaw was still there, still containing the metal implants and razor sharp teeth.

His legs were still there, properly angled and made of flesh and ending in properly positioned feet.

He was still _Bucky_.

"Bucky, are you-" Steve. That was Steve. He didn't kill Steve. Steve was alive and talking to him.

"He's shaken up pretty bad, we might-" That was Sam. Sam always knew how to make him feel better.

"Sorry." That was Bucky. That was him. He was alive.

"Hey, no, no need to be sorry," Steve held out his hand, which Bucky gratefully took into his own, trembling flesh hand. "It was just a bad dream, it's gonna be okay."

"Do you wanna talk about it? It might help make it feel a little less scary." Sam offered. Bucky hadn't noticed when the other man started rubbing those soothing circles into his back, but he didn't want him to ever stop.

"I-..." Bucky had to choke back a sob, retching at the sour taste of fresh sick that stuck to his mouth. "I was, Hydra, they took my face, they took my legs and, and they made them like, kindof like bug legs but _not._ " He whimpered.

"It's gonna be okay, you're safe here. No one is taking anything else away from you. Not while we're around." Sam hummed, letting him lean into his chest.

"Steve, _Steve_ , I-" Bucky couldn't help the shuttering gasp that threatened to tear down the fragile wall he had built up in order to avoid crying in full force. " _I killed you._ "

"Well, I'm right here, you _didn't_ kill me. _I'm_ safe and _you're_ safe." Steve rubbed his hand with his thumb, the way that always made him feel just a little better with each soft, tender stroke of the other's thumb pad against his skin. "It was just a bad dream, no one is hurt."

It felt like an eternity, but by the time he had finally came down from his nightmare-induced panic, he could barely keep his eyes open. After making his way to the bathroom to change out of his now sodden padding and rinse out the taste of sick from his mouth, he made his way back to the bed, where he snuggled between the two men who cared for him most.

"Feel a little better?" Sam asked, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

"Yeah, thanks, I'm-" He caught himself before he could say 'sorry'. He _knew_ if he said sorry that the other two would spend _hours_ telling him that he shouldn't be sorry for having nightmares. "Thank you."

Now warm and safe between the other two men's arms, Bucky managed to doze off into what he hoped was a nightmare-free bout of sleep.

Nothing hurt.

**Author's Note:**

> The nightmare portion of this story was inspired by [Bacterial Contamination](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM9pX3C2_QM) from Vocaloid's Hatsune Miku. I used to draw different characters in the same style as the 'Contaminated' Miku when I was young, and the inspiration to write this little plot bunny in the middle of the night hit us like a freight train.
> 
> Also yes we drew the image at the end. That was what inspired us to write this. The drawing can be found [here](https://www.furaffinity.net/view/36417192/).


End file.
